Plant for bending metallic flat elements such as panels, sheets, plates or similar, bending machine for such metallic flat elements and relative bending process

Abstract

Plant ( 10 ) for bending metallic flat elements ( 11 ) including a bending machine ( 13 ) provided with a support plane ( 21 ) on which the metallic flat element ( 11 ) to be bent is positioned, a bending group ( 19 ) which bends, upwardly or downwards, a section of the metallic flat element ( 11 ), and a sucker feeding group ( 22 ) associated with the support plane ( 21 ) for selectively feeding the metallic flat element ( 11 ) to the bending group ( 19 ). The feeding group includes one or more sucker organs ( 22 ) aligned in a direction substantially transverse to the metallic flat element ( 11 ) to be bent and placed, in the rest position, below the support plane ( 21 ), to lift the metallic flat element ( 11 ) of a given height (D) from the edge of the support plane ( 21 ), after the bending has been carried out.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Bending machine for a metallic flat element ( 11 ), including a support plane ( 21 ) on which said metallic flat element ( 11 ) to be bent is suitable to be positioned, a bending group ( 19 ) suitable to bend upwardly, or downwards, a section of said metallic flat element ( 11 ), and sucker feeding group associated with said support plane ( 21 ) and suitable to selectively feed said metallic flat element ( 11 ) to said bending group ( 19 ), characterized in that said sucker feeding group includes more than one sucker organ ( 22 ) aligned in a direction substantially transverse to said metallic flat element ( 11 ) to be bent and placed, in the rest position, below said support plane ( 21 ), and suitable at least to lift said metallic flat element ( 11 ) a given height (D) from the edge of said support plane ( 21 ) to keep said metallic flat element ( 11 ) from sticking to the support plane ( 21 ), at least after the bending has been carried out. 
     
     
       2. Machine as to  claim 1 , characterized in that said sucker feeding group ( 22 ) is also suitable to apply to said metallic flat element ( 11 ) a traction towards said support plane ( 21 ), and/or to move said metallic flat element ( 11 ) along directions substantially coplanar with respect to said support plane ( 21 ). 
     
     
       3. Machine as to  claim 1 , characterized in that said machine has more than one sucker organ, ( 22 ) connected to each other and said more than one sucker organ  22  being moved in a coplanar way and/or in lifting way with respect to said support plane ( 21 ), by a moving organ ( 25 ) placed below said support plane ( 21 ). 
     
     
       4. Machine as defined in  claim 1  characterized in that said support plane ( 21 ) includes a plurality of section bars substantially parallel and spaced apart one each other, said sucker feeding organs ( 22 ) are interposed among said section bars. 
     
     
       5. Process for bending a metallic flat element ( 11 ) by using a machine according to  claim 1 , said process including at least a first phase of positioning said metallic flat element ( 11 ) to be bent on said support plane ( 21 ), a second phase of feeding said metallic flat element ( 11 ) to the bending group ( 19 ), a third phase of bending upwardly, or downwards, a section of said metallic flat element ( 11 ), through said bending group ( 19 ), and a fourth, phase of extracting said metallic flat element ( 11 ) from said bending group ( 19 ) by means of said sucker feeding group, characterized in that at least at the end of said third phase or in said fourth phase, said sucker feeding group is moved to lift said metallic flat element ( 11 ) of a given height (D) from the edge of said support plane ( 21 ). 
     
     
       6. A plant for bending metallic flat elements ( 11 ) comprising at least one bending machine ( 13 ) according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       7. A plant for bending metallic flat elements which comprises at least one bending machine according to  claim 1  wherein said sucker organs ( 22 ) are also suitable to apply to said metallic flat element ( 11 ) a traction towards said support plane ( 21 ), and/or to move said metallic flat element ( 11 ) along directions substantially coplanar with respect to the support plane ( 21 ). 
     
     
       8. A plant for bending metallic flat elements which comprises at least one bending machine according to  claim 1  wherein said plant also includes a loading station ( 12 ) arranged upstream of said bending machine ( 13 ) and in which said metallic flat element ( 11 ) to be bent is suitable to be placed, and a translation group ( 16 ) positioned above said loading station ( 12 ) and said bending machine ( 13 ), and suitable both to transport said metallic flat element ( 11 ) from said loading station ( 12 ) to said bending machine ( 13 ), and to properly prepare said metallic flat element ( 11 ) for bending. 
     
     
       9. A plant for bending metallic flat elements according to  claim 8  wherein said loading station ( 12 ) includes at least a positioning bench ( 17 ) on which said metallic flat element ( 11 ) is suitable to be set up. 
     
     
       10. A plant for bending metallic flat elements according to  claim 8  wherein said translation group ( 16 ) includes a robotized arm ( 31 ) mounted slidingly on a guide bridge ( 33 ) and provided with a rotating sucker tool ( 32 ), which is suitable to collect said metallic flat element ( 11 ) from its top surface. 
     
     
       11. A plant for bending metallic flat elements according to  claim 8  wherein said sucker tool ( 32 ) includes at least one side wall which can be selectively rotated upwardly. 
     
     
       12. A plant for bending metallic flat elements which comprises at least one bending machine according to  claim 1  characterized in that said plant also includes an evacuation station ( 15 ) disposed downstream said bending machine ( 13 ) and suitable to evacuate said metallic flat bent element ( 11 ). 
     
     
       13. A plant as to  claim 12 , characterized in that said evacuation station ( 15 ) includes at least one evacuation carriage ( 26 ) aligned with said support plane ( 21 ) of said bending machine ( 13 ) and provided with its own evacuation organs ( 29 ) suitable to transport said metallic flat bent element ( 11 ) towards an evacuation zone. 
     
     
       14. A plant for bending metallic flat elements according to  claim 13  wherein said evacuation carriage ( 29 ) can be selectively moved laterally with respect to said bending machine ( 13 ), so as to allow direct access to said support plane ( 21 ).